Sheridan: Whether you hated him or just despised him, David Stern was a genius

My favorite David Stern story happened in Las Vegas, on the corner near the footbridge that takes you from the MGM Grand to the New York-New York without having to physically step on “The Strip” as you cross Las Vegas Boulevard.

Barkley won the race and the $50,000 prize that went along with it (which was donated to charity), peering at the number on the oversized check and proclaiming “Oh, look, two hands of blackjack.”

Earlier during that week Stern was taking part in a photo opp outside the MGM Grand, and we got to talking about gambling in general. Stern told me his game, back in the day, was Seven-Card Stud — and he was damn good at it, as best as he could recall.

Once you got to know him, you could have a conversation with Stern about anything.

He was “Easy Dave” — a personality few got to see.

Back in the mid-90s when I first got to know him, he was diligent about checking on the welfare of my mother-in-law, who was dying of pancreatic cancer at the time. When my days at ESPN were winding down, he turned the tables on me during a live press conference during the lockout and asked, on camera: “Did you really sue Peter Vecsey for libel?”

“Not the time or the place, David,” I answered.

Yet he persisted.

“Not the time or the place, Dave,” I answered again, temporarily getting him off the subject.

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[...] Chris Sheridan, Sheridan Hoops - The former ESPN writer has built up the best independent basketball site on the ‘net. I would say his coverage rivals that of anything you will find on ESPN. Sheridan shares his personal experience with Stern, showing a softer side the public may not be familiar with. The main point is that Stern had to take stands on certain issues that may not be popular, but were necessary to move the league forward. [...]